The President of the Maldives has just signed into law a new amendment to the country’s immigration act which prohibits the entry of individuals holding Israeli passports into the territory of the Republic of Maldives. The government began considering this law in 2024 as a response to the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Israeli Passport Holders are Banned from the Maldives
According to the press release from the Republic of Maldives government, the ratification of the law “reflects the Government’s firm stance in response to the continuing atrocities and ongoing acts of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people.”
It’s worth noting that the Maldives is a majority Muslim country with roughly 99% of the population practicing the religion. Since 2008, citizens and anyone wishing to become citizens is required by law to follow Sunni Islam. Guest workers, tourists, and residents are allowed to practice any religion in private.
Israel and the Maldives had not had diplomatic relations in roughly 50 years, but given its heavy reliance on tourism, Israeli passport holders have still been able to visit the country until today.
Most visitors to the country will likely never step foot in a residential area during their visit, with transfers from the airport straight to their hotel. Most of the hotels in the country are located on private islands or atolls and feel completely westernized. My wife and I spent part of our honeymoon in the Maldives and enjoyed cocktail making classes and champagne on the back deck in a country that otherwise forbids alcohol.
According to Ben from One Mile at a Time, roughly 11,000 Israeli passport holders entered the country in 2023. There was a sharp drop in 2024 when the country began considering the ban.
On the surface this should affect a relatively little portion of the tourism industry but, one has to wonder how many people will reconsider travel to the country as a result of this law going into effect.
Summary
Israeli passport holders have officially been banned from entering the Republic of Maldives. The President of the country stated that this is due to the country’s ongoing conflict with Palestine. While very few travelers to the country enter on Israeli passports, I can’t help but wonder about the downstream impact to the country’s large tourism and hospitality industry.
It’s not about the conflict; it’s about then siding with terrorists due to religion. The government there is under a lot of pressure from Muslim demonstrators in Male. It is illegal to bring a bible or torah to the Maldives. I would go so far as to say that when you spend money in the Malidives, it helps fund terrorists as well. Once source on this: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1659
So happy to see this. It is about time Israel is held accountable for its actions. No country is above international law, as South Africa learned last century.